RESOLVED: Knuckle hard to turn/birf binding?

[74HogGuy]

In the middle of putting my knuckle back together and I just bolted the spindle and dust seal back on. It seems very hard to turn the knuckle. Is this normal?

My knuckle bearing preload checked out right at 5lbs before I installed the axle and birf.

 

[Splangy]

Plenty of grease in the birf?

 

[GHalll]

Will the birf spin ok?

 

[74HogGuy]

Ton of grease on the birf. I can't turn the birf by hand, but I can spin the flange on the pinion and the birf is turning.

 

[74HogGuy]

Don't tell me I need to tear the sucker down again...sigh.

 

[74HogGuy]

Need some help trouble shooting. My hunch is that the Martac weld is not allowing the axle to fully seat although I placed at 1.5" and used a spider gear to place tacks.

Hoping someone can chime in on what to look for. After some reading the 1.5" is just a guideline and others say that tacks should be placed at the end of the gear wear on the splines.

3rd pic shows old gear wear vs where the tacks are placed.

 

[Rigger]

What is the reason for those tack welds?

 

[74HogGuy]

What is the reason for those tack welds?

Tack welds are supposed to eliminate the need for the inner birfield circlips. This way you have easier access in the field and can remove birf easily.

Marfield Tack

 

[74HogGuy]

Since this bugging the $hit out of me I went and slid the short side in.

It doesn't seem like the bell of the birf is sitting back as far as it should and it rubs slightly on the housing. Tomorrow I'm going to take my Dremmel to the Martacs and see if I can allow it to slide my another 1/8 of an inch. If this fixes the short side then I'll grudgingly take apart the long side.

 

[shawnfj40]

Did you upgrade to chromoly birds or anything? I know when you do you have to relieve a lot of metal inside the ball for clearance.

 

[Splangy]

I think I have that same pair of shop sandles.

 

[74HogGuy]

Did you upgrade to chromoly birds or anything? I know when you do you have to relieve a lot of metal inside the ball for clearance.

These are just the larger 60 birfs...I only clearanced the two flats to allow the birf to slide into the ball.

 

[74HogGuy]

Opening up my welds some hoping this will allow a little more engagement into the spider gears. The small Dremel metal cutting wheels seem to be working and are easy to control the cuts.

I've gained about 2.5mm of extra engagement.

 

[74HogGuy]

Good news! I took apart the side I had put together and as soon as I took the pressure off of the spindle everything moved freely telling me that the axle was not fully seated in the diff.

Pulled the long side axle and you could see where the splines were hitting my welds. Cleaned up the welds with my Dremel and bolted the spindle back on and bam! Everything is moving as it should.

I'm going to take the axles back out and replace my tack welds further out. Let this be a lesson that 1.5" is indeed just a starting place (even using a spider gear to get aligned). It was nice however being able to yank the birf right off is the axle to work on it.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Justin

 

[Living in the Past]

Just curious if you installed the block on the pinion shaft t/that keeps the C clips from falling out wouldn't it do the same thing as the welds? Or do the front inner axles not go in as far?

 

[74HogGuy]

Just curious if you installed the block on the pinion shaft t/that keeps the C clips from falling out wouldn't it do the same thing as the welds? Or do the front inner axles not go in as far?

Front Axle is full floating so it doesn't have C-clips to hold the axles in. Normally the end of the axle that slides into the birf has a circlip that keeps the axle from sliding too far into the diff. The tack weld on the inner axle acts as the stop.

 

[Living in the Past]

Front Axle is full floating so it doesn't have C-clips to hold the axles in. Normally the end of the axle that slides into the birf has a circlip that keeps the axle from sliding too far into the diff. The tack weld on the inner axle acts as the stop.

I understand that but wouldn't the block do the same thing the welds do. Only reason the block isn't needed those C clips in the Birfield. Remove those and the block would prevent the inner from siding out of the Birfield. My only question is how far do the inner axles go into splines in the differential. Would the block do the job or not. On the rear axle the C clip prevents the inner axle from sliding out. The block prevents the inner axle from sliding in and C clip from falling out. Which the is the movement your trying to prevent.

I do have a hint of your planning on leaving the inner C clips off. When tearing it down with inner axle still held in place with C clip grease the inner spline and record how far it slid into the spline. I would remove the outer seal first so it doesn't wipe the grease you want to inspect off. If your tearing a axle down want to replace that seal anyway.